Bottom construction for cribs



April 2, 1946.

Hl. F. SHAW `BOTTOM CONSTRUCTION FOR CRIBS Filed Nov. 50, 1944 Umm/HAM' abil In/vena?? lmoving along guide rods I8.

Patented Apr. 2, 1946 UNITED `.s'i'mi?.s' PATENT OFFICE BOTTOM COS-'IRUCT-ION FORURIS Y Harold F. Shaw, Leominster, .Mass.,*assigrnor .tor

ge Companm'licmnster,

This invention relates to crlibsiax'id -cribspring's and the object is to provide an improved Vconstruction therefor whereby the spring or bed bottom may be 'easily adjusted as regards its eley vation or angle, yet be securely and rigidly supported after such adjustment.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, where- Fig. 1 is a perspective of the crib as a whole;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 on a still larger scale; and l Fig. 4 is a detail elevation as seen from the right of Fig. 3.

Heretofore cribs have been provided, as, for example, that shown in my Patent 2,094,553, Sept. 28, 1937, wherein one end of the bed proper may be elevated relative to the other so that the child will not lie flat on his back while being fed or may be adjusted vertically within the crib body to suit the requirements of the child or the convenience of the mother from time to time. The present construction relates to a crib of that general character.

Referring to the drawing, the crib body or bedstead embodies the end members l and I2 of which the corner posts form a part, and sides I4 and I6, one or both of which may be drop sides In Fig. 1 f the drawing the nearer side is shown in the lowered position. The bed bottom may comprise a rectangular frame 20 of angle iron on which the bed bottom fabric 22 or spring proper is secured and these parts may be of any usual or suitable construction. Means are provided for supporting one or preferably both ends of the spring from the ends l0 and.l2 of the bedstead at differing elevations therealong. Such means may be the same at both ends, as is indicated in Fig. 1 by the showing of the handle 35 at the nearer corner, as will be apparent from the following description.

Referring now to Fig. 2, in the embodiment of the invention shown the end member of the bottom frame 2U has secured to the central portion thereof flat springs 24, which conveniently are formed by a single strip of metal centrally secured as shown, which springs extend outwardly towards the sides of the frame and conveniently above the same, as best shown in Fig. 1, and normally lie somewhat spaced therefrom in their un- Mass., a corporation of 'Massaeli'usettsV V'Application November 3 o, i944, saisine-:esatta s claim-s. f

(ois-iii 'stressedpositiom They may be fiexed relatively to: the frame' fands are, :then :adapted to exert fa resilient :stressitoward or away from the same. 'Ehe projecting zen-d :portions of--th'e springs are adaptedeto engage fover an'dbehindfsuitableysupporting elements 26 on the bed posts. These elements conveniently take the form of hooks which may be struck from metal bars 28 secured to the corner posts. The springs enter behind the bills 36 of the hooks and are preferably (see Fig. 4) provided with notches 32 which fit around the substantially horizontal throat portions of the hooks so as to interlock therewith against transverse movement. Series of pairs of hooks 2S are provided at different elevations along the posts, preferably at both ends of the bedstead. The distal portions of the springs 24 extend outwardly beyond the frame 20 and slightly beyond the crib ends i0 and l2 to provide manipulating handles 36 by means of which the springs may be flexed.

The parts are preferably so proportioned that with the bed bottom in a horizontal position, that is, supported from pairs of studs in the same plane on the two bedstead ends, the springs are subject to inward stress. If the bed bottom is moved to the inclined position shown in Fig. 1, the distance spanned thereby is, of course, greater, but this is taken up by flexure of the springs outwardly placing them under outward stress. Either endtof the bed bottom is readily disengaged through the handles 3i; and the springs may readily be flexed to engage them with the desired pair of hooks, The spring stress on the end members lll and l2 of the crib tends to rigidify the structure as a whole. The provision made for shifting the spring involves no horizontal transverse pivots about which the ends would tend to turn. The arrangement shown in Fig. 4 gives a support transversely against distortions of the assembly of parts in a horizontal plane in addition to the resilient stress which, as explained, resists distortion in a vertical plane.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without. departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, as is in fact clear in several matters from the description itself. Reference is to be had to the appended claims to indicate those principles of the invention exemplified by the particular embodiment described and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent.

I claim:

1. A bed spring comprising a. frame supporting the bottom fabric having means at the ends thereof for suspending it from the posts of a loedsteadV end, said means comprising at at leasty one end of the frame flat springs secured to the Y central portion thereof with their wider dimension substantially Vertical to the plane of the frame and in their neutral unstressed condition l extendingfoutwardlygand laterally to present at the eXtreme end of theframe and outwardly of the sides thereof portions which maybe eXed either'to'or from the frame for suspendingl en-y gagement withV hook-forming elements on the bed posts.

V2. A bed spring comprising a frame supporting the bottom fabric having means at the ends thereof for suspending it from the posts of a bedstead end, said means^comprisirigY at at least one endV of the frame flat springs secured to the central portion thereof with their Wider dimension substantially vertical to the plane of the frame and Yin vtheir vneutralV unstressed condition extending i outwardly and laterally to present at the extreme end Vof the -frame and outwardly of the sides y thereof portions which may be exed either to 25 K or from the frame for suspending engagement with hook-forming elements on the bed posts, the springs having free extreme ends formed as nianpulating handles providing forY exure of the springs.

3. A bed spring comprising a frame supportf ing the bottom fabric having means at the ends Vment with hook-forming elements on the bed posts, said portions being provided with laterally presented shoulders for interlocking with such elements againsttransverse movement when the parts are engaged. l

, j. HAROLD F. SHAW.' 

